CHEFFIFY

3 recipes · 21 Oct 2026

What to make with zucchini

Zucchini, or courgettes, pile up fast. Three vegetarian dinners that use them up.

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Zucchini is mostly water, so the trick is to cook it hard and fast, to grate and squeeze it, or to bake it in layers under cheese and crumbs.

All three recipes are vegetarian, and Cheffify checked each one against that. Each started from a different fridge.

Lemon Garlic Zucchini Pasta
AI-generated photo. Your dish will look a little different.

Lemon Garlic Zucchini Pasta

  • 15 min
  • Serves 2
  • 450 kcal a serving
  • Easy
  • Italian-inspired
  • Vegetarian

A bright, fresh pasta dish that highlights the sweetness of zucchini with a zesty lemon finish. It is quick, simple, and perfect for a light dinner.

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Made with Cheffify’s AI from these ingredients

In the fridge zucchini, pasta, lemon, parmesan, garlic, fresh basil

Used from the fridge
zucchinipastalemonparmesangarlicfresh basil
From the pantry
saltblack pepperolive oil

Ingredients

  • 200g pasta
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 lemon
  • 40g parmesan
  • 1 small bunch fresh basil

Allergens: contains milk, gluten (wheat). Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Calories
450 kcal
Protein
15 g
Carbs
65 g
Fat
16 g

Per serving, estimated by AI.

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve a small mug of the starchy pasta water before draining.
  2. While the pasta cooks, slice the zucchini into thin half-moons and finely mince the garlic.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender and slightly golden.
  4. Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
  5. Add the drained pasta directly into the pan with the zucchini. Toss well, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water to create a light, glossy sauce.
  6. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, the grated parmesan, and the chopped fresh basil. Season generously with salt and black pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Tip To get a creamier sauce without cream, ensure you reserve that starchy pasta water—the starch helps emulsify the olive oil, lemon juice, and cheese into a cohesive coating for the noodles.

Crispy Zucchini and Feta Fritters
AI-generated photo. Your dish will look a little different.

Crispy Zucchini and Feta Fritters

  • 25 min
  • Serves 2
  • 350 kcal a serving
  • Easy
  • Mediterranean
  • Vegetarian

These light, savory fritters come together quickly using fresh zucchini and salty feta, making for a perfect, satisfying lunch.

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Made with Cheffify’s AI from these ingredients

In the fridge zucchini, eggs, feta, plain flour, spring onions

Used from the fridge
zucchinieggsfetaplain flourspring onions
Worth buying (optional)
  • + fresh dill adds a bright, herby lift
From the pantry
olive oilsaltblack pepperbaking powder

Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 2 large eggs
  • 100g feta
  • 60g plain flour
  • 3 stalks spring onions
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Allergens: contains milk, egg, gluten (wheat). Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Calories
350 kcal
Protein
18 g
Carbs
25 g
Fat
20 g

Per serving, estimated by AI.

Method

  1. Grate the zucchini using the coarse side of a box grater. Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you possibly can—this is the secret to crispy fritters.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then stir in the crumbled feta, finely sliced spring onions, flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and plenty of black pepper.
  3. Add the squeezed zucchini to the egg mixture and combine until well incorporated. The batter will be thick.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan, flattening them slightly with your spatula.
  5. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side until they are golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately while hot.

Tip If you want to make these even crunchier, substitute half the plain flour with cornmeal or chickpea flour.

Baked Zucchini Tomato Gratin
AI-generated photo. Your dish will look a little different.

Baked Zucchini Tomato Gratin

  • 45 min
  • Serves 2
  • 380 kcal a serving
  • Easy
  • Italian
  • Vegetarian

This comforting vegetarian bake layers tender sliced zucchini with a rich, savory tomato sauce and finishes with a crispy, golden mozzarella crust.

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Made with Cheffify’s AI from these ingredients

In the fridge zucchini, mozzarella, canned tomatoes, breadcrumbs, onion

Used from the fridge
zucchinimozzarellacanned tomatoesbreadcrumbsonion
Worth buying (optional)
  • + fresh basil adds a bright, fragrant finish
From the pantry
olive oilgarlicsaltblack pepperdried oregano

Ingredients

  • 3 medium zucchini
  • 400g canned tomatoes
  • 150g mozzarella
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • 1 medium onion

Allergens: contains milk, gluten (wheat). Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Calories
380 kcal
Protein
18 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
22 g

Per serving, estimated by AI.

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice the zucchini into thin rounds, about 0.5cm thick.
  2. Finely dice the onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the canned tomatoes and a pinch of dried oregano to the onions. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Grease a baking dish with a little oil. Create a base layer with some tomato sauce, then layer the zucchini slices on top. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of sauce.
  5. Tear the mozzarella into small pieces and scatter over the top of the dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the cheese.
  6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender when pierced with a fork and the topping is golden and bubbling.

Tip For the best texture, sprinkle a little salt on your sliced zucchini and let it sit for 10 minutes, then pat dry with a paper towel before layering; this prevents the dish from becoming too watery.

Swaps

Missing something, or cooking for a different diet? These work in the recipes above.

Yellow squash
Swap it in one for one in all three.
Gluten-free
Use gluten-free pasta and gram (chickpea) flour in the fritters.
No feta
Grated cheddar or parmesan in the fritters.

What to buy to finish it

Every recipe works with what it lists. These optional extras are what Cheffify suggested to lift each one.

Pantry basics these recipes assume

saltblack pepperolive oilbaking powdergarlicdried oregano

Good to know

  • For fritters, grate the zucchini, salt it for 10 minutes, then squeeze it hard in a clean towel: dry zucchini fries crisp.
  • Parmesan is usually made with animal rennet. For a strictly vegetarian dish, choose a hard cheese labelled vegetarian.

Got something else?

Tell Cheffify what’s in your fridge. It picks what goes together, writes the recipe and tells you what it left out. Your first recipe is free, with no account needed.

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How these recipes were made

Each recipe started as the fridge list shown with it. Cheffify’s AI (the same Chef’s Pick you get in the app) chose what goes together and wrote the recipe on 21 Oct 2026, and an image model made the photo. We read every recipe before publishing, but they haven’t been tested in a test kitchen. Times and nutrition are estimates, and the allergen notes only cover the listed ingredients.

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